Hi Everyone, In a few weeks I'll be boarding "The Empire Builder" for the excursion from Seattle to Chicago. I will have a "Bedroom". I want to do the right thing..........so, I have a few questions. 1) Will I have the same attendant taking care of me each day? 2) Should I tip him/her each day? 3) Or......should I wait until the end of the trip? And......4) How much?
I believe that the same attendant is onboard each sleeper for the entire trip. This was true with the Crescent and the City of New Orleans during the 90's. Therefore, you would tip the attendant when you leave the train. I felt that $5 per night was a good starting point, more if the attendant did more than just carry your bags on and off, and make up the bed(s). However, on one trip I was prepared to tip the attendant as I got off, but left it in my pocket because I had to carry my bags to the vestibule, then off the train .... he was sitting on his butt in a bedroom watching me as I went by carrying my bags!!!!! By the way, the attendant will bring your meal(s) from the diner. In this case, you would tip separately when the meal was delivered.
I think tipping the engineer at least a $20 is very good. At least I would be thankful and appreciate it. Funny I never have gotten a tip.
I agree with you ... but whenever I tried to go forward to tip the Engineer, the Conductor always told me "Give it to me, I'll see that he gets it!" [ 15. August 2002, 01:42: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
I thought that joke was as old as dirt! Here's some great "tips": DON'T PARK BY FIRE HYDRANTS. CROSS AT THE GREEN AND NOT IN BETWEEN. BRUSH AFTER MEALS. DON'T GO SWIMMING AFTER EATING. LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! BEETLE BAUM IN THE 4TH AT AQUEDUCT................ Those are great tips! OK, that was bad. I admit it.
Hank, like Johnny said, "Don't park your Beemer by a hydraunt in New York!" [ 16. August 2002, 16:37: Message edited by: watash ]
If that were New York, that car would be on a sea container bound for somewhere else before the owner would even know it's gone! Did you get your henway?
That's a great photo Watash but as a retired NYC Fireman I can tell you that the pic wasn't taken in New York City. The hydrant and hose connections are different and besides........We would not be permitted to break car windows, or even move the car. You just issue a summons.
I've re-examined that photo and I can tell you that that license plate is not a New York plate. Our newest plate has 3 letters, then 4 numbers.
With the letters and number sequence and the year tag in the upper right corner, I am pretty sure that is a California car.
I'd say California or North Carolina judging from the colors. Railfan, what companies did you work in? I live on the north end of Battalion 9. I'm a 5 minute walk from Ladder 25. (Batt. 11). Engine 74 used to be quartered there too but moved up to 83rd off Columbus years ago, I think when Squad 6 was disbanded. I love firetrucks as much as trains. Ah, I remember such things as seeing plywood cabs on the Ladder Company trucks back during the riots of the late '60s. And I remember seeing one of the first Simone Snorkels that the FDNY had purchased. Those were the good old days!
Very interesting.......I didn't know that E-74 moved. I do recall the Squad being in the house on 83rd. I worked on the East side, Ladder 43.... Quarente y Tres.......on 111th Street. They have also moved to 103rd & Third Ave. The 11th Battalion was also in the 4th Division so there was an occasion when I was detailed to work one night in Ladder 25. I also was sent to Ladder 22, Amsterdam & 97th on several occasions. If you're interested in apparatus, 22,25 and 43 all had 1953 American La France trucks.
Johnny, do you remember..........? When I was appointed Engine 74 had an old Ahrens-Fox pumper. The pump was mounted up in front of the engine, so the cab was closer to the back step than to the front bumper.
WOW! I have a book on FDNY'S Aherns Fox engines and I do believe there is a photo of Engine 74 with a Fox! I'll have to find it and check it out! Ladder 22 is quarterd with Engine 76, Thaw 61, Bat. 11 at 145 West 100th St. I kinda think that on 97th and Amsterdam, on the right side (east) there is a large apartment building now. There is a church on 96th and Amsterdam.....the other side I guess is still small tenements. Ladder 43 is stationed with Engine 53, Rac. 1 at 1836 3rd Ave, which I do believe is 103rd St! Check out this listing! It's been very helpful to me in my search for company patches after 9/11. http://www.nyfd.com/history/who.html I vaguely remember as a small kid, seeing a long nose Hook and Ladder tractor, that must have been a spare going into Engine 40, Ladder 35 down on 65th and Amsterdam. I would even bet it was hauling a wooden tiller! It must have been a pre-war truck, so it would have been 20 years old around the time I saw it in the early 60's. I can't think off hand but it may have been a Mack tractor, or Seagrave.........most likely a Seagrave. Maybe you would know better than I! I know more about fire engines than I do trains. LOL. These things get me crazy. I'm always running out the door when I hear fire engines stop outside the building! Ah, I'm just a big kid. By the way, on a rather sad note, I was recently talking to one of the guys from Engine 74, and he was standing only 7 feet from one of his partners when he was killed at the WTC.
Johnny......when I worked there L-43 was on 111th St with E-91. E-53 was in an old wooden house on 104th St. Ladder 13 was in a Civil War era house on 87th St and E-22 was in another old wooden house on 85th St. L-22 and E-76 were in an old house on the west side of Amsterdam between 97th & 98th. The house was very unusual.......very deep....because L-22 was the only double ladder company still left in the job. There were 2 ladder trucks, one behind the other. As Harlem became busier in the 60's the second truck was moved to L-26 at 114th & Madison. In earlier days E-76 was quartered by thenselves on 83rd St. The long nose tractor was probably a FWD..vintage 1937 or so. L-43 also had one of those. During WWII (The big one, as Archie would say) new fire apparatus was not available, so FDNY had to make do. Around 1948 they purchased a large number of Ward La France tractors and continued to use the old wooden ladder trailers. The only long nose tractor I ever saw was at the proby school. Then in the 50's FDNY purchased 3 new trucks.......an American la France, a Seagrave and Pirsch. The American La France was the least expensive so .......
Did you go yet? we (my wife and I) are thinking of going to the west coast next fall tell me what you learned and what not to do. Mr. Train
